How a Piece of Folk Music Typically Remains Unchanged
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How a Piece of Folk Music Typically Remains Unchanged
When it comes to folk music, one of the things that makes it so special is the fact that it often remains unchanged for centuries. This is because folk music is typically passed down from generation to generation, with each new generation adding their own personal touches.
The ballad
Folk music is typically passed down orally from one generation to the next and as a result, many ballads remain unchanged over time. This is because the ballad is meant to be sung and not read, so it is easier to remember when it is set to a melody. The ballad usually tells a story and is meant to be sung by someone who is familiar with the story.
The ballad’s plot
The ballad is a form of storytelling that was traditionally passed down orally from one generation to the next. The ballad usually tells a story of love, loss, or hardship, and often features characters from the margins of society such as peasants, gypsies, and outlaws. Ballads were typically sung by wandering minstrels, and the music was often simple and catchy so that it could be easily remembered. The ballad’s plot would typically remain unchanged, even as it was copied and recopied over time.
The ballad’s meter
Most ballads are written in ballad meter, which consists of alternating lines of iambic tetrameter and iambic trimeter, known as ballad stanzas. Ballad meter is sometimes called “common meter” because it is also used in a variety of other forms of poetry, including hymns and nursery rhymes. The ballad stanza usually has a rhyme scheme of ABAB or ABABCB.
The ballad’s stanzas
Ballads are narrative folk songs, and often tell tragic stories of doomed lovers, murdered knights, lost battles, or other tragic events. The stanzas of a ballad are usually of equal length, and have a repeating refrain or burden (repeated line) that helps to catch the listeners’ attention and project the theme of the song. The ballad form was common in Britain and Ireland from the medieval period until the 19th century, and is still occasionally used today.
The ballad stanza typically consists of four lines, rhyming AABB. The first and third lines are usually iambic tetrameter (four feet), while the second and fourth lines are iambic trimeter (three feet), though there is some variation in this pattern. The following is an example of a ballad stanza:
I stood on the bridge at midnight,
A bell rang out through the foggy night.
I heard footsteps coming towards me,
And then I knew that it was you.
The folk song
Folk songs are typically passed down from generation to generation orally. The lyrics and melodies of folk songs are usually simple and easy to remember, which makes them easy to sing or play without music notation. The melodies of folk songs are often repetitive, which also makes them easy to remember. Folk songs usually remain unchanged over time, as they are passed down from generation to generation.
The folk song’s plot
Most folk songs tell a simple, usually tragic story. A young couple, often of different social classes, falls in love and elopes. The young woman is disowned by her family, and the young man is left to fend for himself. He leaves to find work, vowing to return to his beloved when he has made his fortune. He is killed or dies tragically, leaving the woman alone and heartbroken.
The folk song’s meter
The meter of a folk song is usually duple, or in other words, two beats per measure. This allows the melody to be sung or played on instruments in a fairly straightforward manner. The majority of folk songs have a time signature of 2/4 or 4/4, which means that there are either two or four beats in each measure. In some cases, 3/4 time may be used, which has a waltz-like feel to it.
The folk song’s stanzas
Folk songs typically have stanzas of equal length which are then repeated. The stanzas usually have the same melody, but the lyrics often change between each stanza. The chorus or refrain is usually sung after each stanza and often has different words each time it is sung. This allows the song to be easily learned and remembered by the listener.
